Cody Gakpo's Injury Concern Ahead of Fulham Clash
Liverpool’s bright European start came with a jolt of concern, as Cody Gakpo was nowhere to be seen in their Champions League league-phase opener against Atletico.
The Dutch forward did not even make the bench, having skipped Tuesday’s key training session. Head coach Iraola later revealed the reason: niggles in both adductors after Gakpo’s previous 90-minute outing. Not a “proper injury,” as the manager put it, but painful enough to rule him out entirely from a contest Liverpool still edged 2–1.
A fast start, suddenly stalled
The timing could hardly be worse. Gakpo has exploded into the season under his new manager, stitching himself into the heart of Liverpool’s attacking play. One goal, three assists, three games. A flying start, abruptly interrupted.
His latest display came on Friday night, when he went the distance and ran the show. Across a full 90 minutes, Gakpo set up Alexander Isak twice in a commanding 2–0 win over Ipswich Town, a performance that underlined his growing influence and work rate.
That workload has now caught up with him.
Iraola explained that while the medical staff do not see a long-term problem, the short, sharp pain in both adductors was enough to force a precautionary absence against Atletico. Liverpool chose protection over risk.
Fulham on the horizon, questions in attack
Now comes the real dilemma. Liverpool are back on the pitch in just two and a half days, again at home, this time against Fulham in a game Iraola openly described as “very important.”
Asked whether Gakpo could return in time, the answer was blunt in its uncertainty.
“I don’t know [if he will be back for Fulham]. I hope so, but I don’t know,” Iraola admitted on the club’s official channels. “We expected to have him for today, [but] it hasn’t been possible. It’s not a big thing, but the problem is we play here [again] in two days and a half.”
The schedule is unforgiving. The manager knows it. The players are feeling it.
“I think now is a moment of recovery in these two days,” he said, highlighting the strain on the squad. “Let’s see how Bradley has finished, how Cody is [and] if he can give us some minutes. If not, Rio, Victor, I think today everyone has done a big effort.”
Liverpool’s depth will be tested if Gakpo fails to make it. His creativity and link play have quickly become central to Iraola’s early blueprint, and reshuffling the forward line again, so soon after a European tie, is far from ideal.
“We need to recover, we need to regroup and think because in two days and a half we play again here [against] Fulham, it’s a very important game again for us,” the coach added. “So, I hope we can have Cody with us, but I cannot guarantee it.”
Liverpool have their win over Atletico. They have momentum. But with the fixtures piling up and one of their form players in doubt, how long can they keep riding this early-season surge without him?
